Of one-half to



(No Model?)V E. WELLS.

WAGON BODY IRON.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

ELISHA WELLS, OF `WEST PLAINS, MISSOURL-ASSIGNOR OE ONE-HALF TO ROBERT G. GREEN, OF SAME PLACE.

WAGON-BODY IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming pari; of Letters Patent No. 374,223,6iated December 6, 1887.

Application fnedJun-sa les?. serrande-15.005. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELrsHa WELLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Plains, in the county of Howell and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in VVagon-Body irons, ot' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wagon-body irons; and it consists in providing means whereby the said body may be securely and easily fixed to the bed of the wagon, in providing means whereby the front and tail boards maybe secured in place by verysimple means, which shall in addition serve to prevent the side-boards from splitting and protect the ends thereof from damage in loading,

85o., and also in providing` improved means of securement of the raise-boards on the sideboards, which means also serve to enable the sheet-bows to be readily attached tothe wagon.

My invention consists, further, in certain details of construction and arrangement, fully set forth hereinafter, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wagon provided With my improvements. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the same, showing the manner of securing the body to the bolster. Fig. 3 is adetail view of a portion of the grooveplate and sleeve. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the bracket for the bolster. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the socket and the cleat on the raiseboard, showing the manner of connecting the saine and of placing the sheet-bowsin position.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates the body of the wagon, having the bottom B, sides C, and the ends D; and E designates the bolster of the wagon bed, having the vertical standards FF on the ends thereof'.

G represents the end attachment or grooveplate, comprising the base-plate G', ribs g g, having the groove H between the same, the said ribs being supported or sustained laterally by the braces lzy 7t,and the sleeve I, formed by extending the plate G', and adapted to embrace the end of the side-board, passing along the said board a short distance on the outside and bolted or riveted thereto, the inner edge gf the plate G' being also bolted to the sideoard.

It will be understood that the groove H is designed to receive the edge of the end-board, which will slide down therein and be securely held, the braces 7i giving the ridges or ribs a great rigidity. The sleeve I, or the portion of the plate G' which passes around the edge of the side-board, is cut out, as shown in the drawings, to reduce the weight ot the attachment, andthe utility of the said sleeve, as a means of preventing splitting and of protecting the edge of the side-board, is not affected by the said cutting or perforating. The sleeve I also serves as a rub-iron (when on the front end of the Wagon) to protect the ends of the boards in short turning.

K designates the bolster-bracket, comprising the angle-plate K', formed by the bottoni plate, K2, and the side plate, K3, the said bottom plate, K, having ribsl L L thereon, sustained laterally by the braces Z Z, and forming between them the groove L', to receive the upper edge of the bolster. The side plate, K3, is provided with the curved ribs M M, the convex sides of which oppose each other and impinge against opposite sides of the standard F, and thus hold the body rigid on the bed.

It will be seen from the foregoing that when the body is properly placed on the bed of the wagon, withthe groove L fitting over the upper edge of thebolster and the ribs M M embracing the standard, the body will be held perfectly rigid on the bed, with no motion either vertically, laterally, or longitudinally.

N designates a socket secured on the outside of the side-board, near the front and rear ends thereof and at the upper edge, and the raise board A' is provided with the cleats O O, having depending arms O' O', to fit in the said sockets, and thus hold the raise-boards in position on the side-boards.

The cleats O are formed of sheet metal bent to form the angular pocket or socket P at the upper end, which socket is designed to receive the lower end of the sheet-bow R, to secure the cover of the wagon in place. The depending arms O of the cleats arealso formed of sheet metal'bent up at the edges to form the fianges o' o', which, when the said arm is passed into the socket N, bear against the outer side of the same, and thus steady the raise-board on the side board. When the raise-boards are not IOO needed on the wagon, the lower ends of the sheet-bows may be inserted in the sockets N, and 'thus secure the cover in place. These socket and cleat irons are all,as far as possible, struck up from sheet metal, thus making them very cheap and easy of manufacture, and they are further out and perforated in ornamental shapes, thus adding to the appearance thereof, at the same time reducing the weight, care being taken that the strength of the devices, Where needed, is not impaired.

The groove on the sde-boards for the reception ofthe edge of the tail and head boards, together with the brace-plate and the sleeve to pass around the ends of the side-boards, is struck up from a single piece of metal, the ribs forming the groove being produced by doubling the metal. The said groove will also be found very strong, light, neat in appearance, and effective in use.

Having new described my invention, I claiml. The groove-plate G, secured to the sideboard of a wagon, comprising the base-plate.

G', parallel ribsgg thereon, forming the groove H, the braces h on the outer sides of the ribs, and the sleeve I, integral with the said plate G, and perforated and cut substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

2. The bolster-iron comprising the plate K2, secured to the under side of the wagon-body, and having the groove L thereon to receive the bolster, and the plate K3 on the side ofthe body, having the ribs M M thereon to embrace the standard on the end of the bolster, substantially as specified.

3. The combination,'with the bolster E, having the standards FF on the ends thereof, of the bracket or angle plate K', secured to the wagon-body,and comprising the bottom plate, K2, having the ribs L, forming the groove L', and the braces Z thereon, and the side plate, K3, having the curved ribs M M, to impinge against opposite sidesV of the standard, substantially as specified.V

4. The sockets N, secured to the side-boards of a wagon-body, combined with the cleats O O, secured on the raise-board, and having the depending arms O', provided with the anges o', to iit within the sockets N, substantially as and for the purpose specilied.

5. Ihe combination, with the sockets N, secured'to the sideboard, of the cleat O, secured to the raise-board, and having the depending arm O, adapted to be placed in the socket N, the upper end of the cleat O having a socket, l?, therein, adapted to receive the lower end of one of the sheet-bows,which support the cover ofthe wagon, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I- claim the foregoing as` my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELisHA WELLS.

-Witnesses:

J. R. CARR, ELMER STONE. 

